The crone or wise woman had an important place in Pagunan society, which probably dated back at least to the time of Long Tongue. Along with the greater egalitarianism in the post-cataclysmic period the relative status of women was higher although we only have Long Tongue's later accounts to support this. Crones were usually women who had few responsibilities as wives, parents, grandparents and who were respected in the community. They served as counselors, confessors and advisors to men with marital or woman problems and as teachers of sexual etiquette and love making for children. Some served as midwives and treated female ailments with herbs and potions. In some respects they were like shamans, a tradition that if it had existed before, was probably extinguished by the Great Cataclysm. Not all of the crones may have been women, according to some reports. One investigator claimed that some of them were the equivalent of the Amerindian berdache or two spirited people. Schwartz, if he had been aware of that, would certainly have mentioned it. The fact he didn't casts doubt on cross gender crones. It may be that the polymorphic promiscuity of Pagunan society reduced or obscured the incidence of trans-sexuality.
